Psychopharmacology
What is psychopharmacology?
Psychopharmacology is an essential treatment in psychiatry because medications can restore the brain’s chemical imbalances that lead to mental health problems.
David H. Lifschutz, MD, offers his knowledge, experience, and solutions that work, whether your solution includes medication, therapy, or both. As a clinical psychopharmacologist, Dr. Lifschutz is trained to understand how your thoughts and emotions affect chemical and biological processes, and the reverse: how imbalances in brain chemicals are associated with emotional and behavioral problems. He also has an in-depth understanding of how drugs interact with your complex biochemistry to restore balance.
Even with his expertise, using medications to treat mental health disorders is complex for several reasons. For starters, there are many different psychotropic medications, each with a different mechanism of action.
Additionally, every person metabolizes and responds to each medication differently. Even in the same class of medications, such as antidepressants, you may respond to one, several, or none of the drugs available in that class.
What types of psychiatric medications are available?
These are the primary classes of psychiatric medications prescribed by Dr. Lifschutz:
Antidepressants
There are currently about 11 different medications formulated to alleviate the symptoms of depression.
Anti-anxiety medications
The medications in this class include benzodiazepines, such as lorazepam, as well as nonaddictive anti-anxiety medications such as buspirone.
Antipsychotic medications
Dr. Lifschutz chooses from about 11 antipsychotic medications to treat conditions such as depression, ADHD, generalized anxiety disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychosis.
Mood stabilizers
Lithium is the one of several psychotropic mood stabilizer.
Stimulants
Several stimulants are commonly used to treat ADHD. Some are short-acting while others are long-acting.
Why is medication management part of psychopharmacology?
During your initial consultation, Dr. Lifschutz evaluates your symptoms, learns about your personal and family history, and orders laboratory tests, if needed. Once he determines your diagnosis, he may prescribe one of the medications listed above.
Dr. Lifschutz does not give you a prescription and send you away. He begins medication management, which means he protects your health by closely monitoring your progress. At regular appointments, he evaluates the drug’s effectiveness and makes sure the dose and type of medication are working for your symptoms.
When necessary, Dr. Lifschutz switches the dose and/or the medication. He may also order blood tests to be sure your medication doesn’t cause unwanted changes in your biochemistry.
Dr. Lifschutz uses his knowledge and experience, but with so many medications and variables, sometimes you’ll need to try several medications or doses to achieve the best results.
If you need psychiatric medication, call David H. Lifschutz, MD, or schedule an appointment online.